Netanyahu: "They're trying to steal the election from us"

The Prime Minister's statement today (Photo: Prime Minister's Office)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived to vote today (Tuesday), the last of all party leaders, after 12 noon, and immediately issued a sharp statement to the media: "They're trying to steal the election from us."

Netanyahu opened with a direct call to Likud voters: "My brothers and sisters, Likud voters, this is an emergency call. Because they're trying to steal the election from us." The Prime Minister drew attention to a police report published this morning: "The police announced something serious and unusual. They seized three of Ra'am's top money men with envelopes of cash in the south. This is criminal, they'll get to everyone, consider yourselves warned."

Netanyahu pointed to figures he claimed show a significant gap in turnout rates: "Turnout in the Arab sector in the south is incomparably higher than in the Jewish sector. You must get out to vote." He quoted the leaders of the Arab parties: "Sami Shehada says, Ahmad Tibi says, Mansour Abbas says in their own words: 'Our voters are streaming to the polls.' You too must stream to the polls."

The Prime Minister called on voters to mobilize the entire family: "Check that everyone comes: grandfather, grandmother, aunt and uncle, the neighbor, no one stays home. No beach, no barbecue, get out and vote now."

Netanyahu concluded with a sharp definition of the political stakes: "Because what's at stake here, what hangs in the balance, is preserving our Jewish state: a strong right-wing government led by Likud with all our partners, or a left-wing government with Arab parties that will bring an end to the State of Israel as we know it."

Earlier today it was reported that the Central Unit in the Southern District arrested three residents of the Bedouin communities of Segev Shalom and Ar'ara in the Negev on suspicion of attempting to buy votes. Searches of their homes turned up envelopes of cash and ballot slips. Police said: "We will act decisively and without bias to safeguard the integrity of the elections."

Netanyahu's emergency call comes against the backdrop of a stormy election campaign. In recent days it was reported that Likud is preparing complaints in advance about fraud in Arab polling stations, even before such incidents actually occurred. The party examined possible claims about difficulties identifying Arab women wearing veils, and about separate voting hours at Bedouin polling stations.

Meanwhile, data from the Shva company published today point to high consumer activity on election day. Between 8:00 and 11:00 this morning, spending totaled 250.78 million shekels, an increase of 26.5% compared to election day for the 25th Knesset.

The election campaign for the 26th Knesset is characterized by high tension in the right-wing camp. In recent days, pressure has been applied to small parties that may not pass the electoral threshold, with Likud warning against a hemorrhaging of votes that could damage the ability to form a right-wing government.